What's What
by sakako
Summary: A story designed to flesh out the minor characters, and throw in a few OC's for good mesaure. R&R, etc. Author Kenji currently on hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

What's What

**By Kenji**

Foreword: Here's something regarding Ohyama. "Enjoy"...

Disclaimer: I own a fish, and eight grizzly bears. …Azumanga Daioh? Eh? 

**

* * *

NEW WAVE CONNEXION**

Ohyama Masaaki… yes. Indeed, that is my name, though I have a strong suspicion that I'm probably the only one who remembers it - aside from my sister, of course, but let's just disregard that little titbit for the moment. Regarding myself: Well, I've been attending _this _high school for just over two years now, and I can't say I'm not enjoying myself; first and foremost, the curriculum is (largely) appealing, and I'm not really the type that's adverse to furthering their own education. While I don't study as often as the faculty might suggest, I'm generally an _adequate _student, or so I've been told. My exam rankings are seldom higher (or rather, lower) than ten, which earns me the accolades of my peers and teachers – among other things – and I'm also on the varsity swimming team, which earns me constant backslaps from my team-mates and the odd love letter perched inside my locker door. But I guess I'm coming off as arrogant, so I'll cease my ramblings.

What's my life like _outside _of school? Well, as I implied earlier, I'm a bit of a loner. It's not as though I'm a shut-in confined to my bedroom, though; I'm often _on the go, _as it were, and you might catch me down at the gym on weeknights. I head over to Kichijoji if I hear about a gig, and I might pop into Akibahara if I'm in the mood. Basically, I'm a busy guy, and my life is pretty hectic, but… I'm always by myself. I usually don't see it as a problem, though – my expeditions through Tokyo are strictly solo deals, and Yoshihide gigs are often best _without_ company – but sometimes it occurs to me that'd it be nice to have someone to talk to; someone to confide in, etc.

I guess I have my fair share of acquaintances, though they're more 'colleagues' than anything else. My classmate Yoshida often greets me in the morning; well-known campus _rockers_ Sasaki and Nasuno occasionally give me a courteous nod; even fellow swimmer Kagura - the boisterous, seemingly dull-witted ball of energy that she is - waves cheerfully every time I head home after training. These people – I wonder how they see me? Do they see me and think, "_Ohyama Masaaki"_? Do they think, _"He's a good guy"_? Do they simply beam passively, unaware of whom I really am? I really cannot say.

There's no time to ruminate on all that now, though. I've gotta go to school. I'll see you there.

"Tadaima!" I shout – and then I'm off.

* * *

** NERVOUS EYES**

Ah, another fine day of solitude. From the rooftop I can see the entire precinct… mmm, it's certainly a nice view. The classroom windows only offer irregular glimpses of the female P.E. class, and to tell you the truth, I'm not really interested in any of those girls. The professed _elegance_ of the youthful female figure pales in comparison to this, as far as I'm concerned. Saying that, I guess I better clarify something: no, I'm not gay. Now that _that's _out of the way, let me briefly fill you in on my day thus far. First, we had English, which was shithouse, followed by another monotonous lecture on Classical Japanese from everyone's favourite Mr. Kimura – I hope you didn't miss the sarcasm – concluding with the twin horrors of maths and science.

Sounds like any day, eh? Well, I guess you could say that. Something rather _incongruous _happened in between periods, though; I actually had a half-decent discussion with someone! And for once, it had a duration of _over _fifteen seconds! _Hooray!_ Ah… I guess you want to know who it was. Well, honestly, her name eludes me now, but I'll say this: she was rather tall. That's not to say that I'm short; in fact, in comparison with me, she was merely half a foot ahead. But if you happened to be, say, Chiyo Mihama, then she was absolutely colossal.

What did we talk about? Well, I just _happened _to be browsing through a plushie catalogue, when suddenly I found her peering over my shoulders, looking rather flushed. I asked her what was wrong; she said it was nothing… and on it went from there. It was enjoyable, to say the least, and I wouldn't mind having a good chat with her sometime in the near future.

For now, however, my musings are interrupted. A group of four – no, six – have just emerged from the stairwell. This is certainly unusual… are they here to see me? No, that's a ludicrous presumption; they're probably just having lunch. Who are they, I wonder? They look a rather motley bunch, that's for sure. Hmm, I recognize a few faces… Kagura, Chiyo… wait a minute; there's that girl! She certainly towers over her companions! Ah, she's looking in my direction - what's that expression on her face?

"Um…Sakaki-san, do you know that guy?"

_Sakaki_! That was it! I'll have to note that for future reference. Who's that girl with the chirpy voice? She looks like she's sunburnt! She seems to be quivering abnormally, too… hmm…

"Sakaki-san?"

Heh, there she goes again. I'll just ignore it for now. Man, this udon is delicious – would you like some?

"Hey, that's Ohyama Masaaki! He's on my swim team!"

That'd be Kagura. I guess I should have disguised my profile more effectively, haha.

"Ohyama Masaaki?" enquires - or rather, squeaks - the chirpy girl.

"Ohyama-kun! Heeey!"

I glance at her casually, grinning.

"Hey. What's up?"

"You wanna join us for lunch?"

Well, this sure is a remarkable development – how could I refuse? I nod, despite having finished my udon, and take a pew between Kagura and an unfamiliar male who looks like a foreigner.

"Ohyama-kun," mutters the boy "I think some introductions are in order." Well, his Japanese isn't too bad; perhaps he's half-American or something.

"I'm Boris. I'm an exchange student from Greece."

I shake the proffered hand heartily. Greece, eh? Intriguing!

"Hi! I'm Kaorin, and this is Sakaki-san!"

Sakaki gives me an awkward look – I guess she would've preferred to introduce herself. This girl probably pampers her like a husband. Incidentally, why didn't she give me her name earlier? Too preoccupied? Hm.

"Koyomi Mizuhara; just call me Yomi. Nice to meet you."

This girl – no, woman - has an air of maturity and sophistication about her. Rather exceptional for a high school student, wouldn't you say? I wouldn't mind hanging out with this kind of person during the ephemeral summer holiday – perhaps we'll be lovers by then, haha.

Damn, I think she caught that devious glint in my eye; she's glowering at me. My instinct tells me this girl is rather frigid, but I guess you can't _"win 'em all"_, as it were.

* * *

Well… this has most _definitely_ been a rewarding day! Maybe hitting the sack slightly earlier last night was a subconsciously premeditated move on my part? It seems to have enhanced my social skills, and maybe my pheromones, ha. Perhaps I might invite them to a gig this weekend? Intolerance of avant-garde music is rampant among people my age, though… so I guess I'll have to miss out on that "Ruins w/ Keiji Haino" improv session. They'll probably enjoy Kuroyume, though. I'll check the concert itineraries when I get home. 

But for now, I have to go to class. I give the posse a pithy farewell, and then, reluctantly, I descend into boredom.

* * *

Note: For those who wish to complain about the abrupt ending of the second segment... "too bad!" 


	2. Chapter 2

**When's When  
**

**By Kenji**

**Foreword**: Ohyama's life takes a rather dismal turn in this chapter! Ooh! Intriguing? Not for the author!

_Is _O. Masaaki merely a delinquent youth, disillusioned with the world? _Is _he merely another irksome maggot bastard with an overactive brain? Probably neither, but you'll find out later anyway. Maybe.

What else do I need to say? Get the hell outta my office!

**Disclaimer**: I own the Globe Theatre in London… that's about it I'm afraid.

* * *

** FIRST SECTION: FRESQUES SUR LES PAROIS SECRÈTES DU CRÂNE**

Uuugrh… What time is it? Where the hell's my mobile… ah, here we are… _4:00 AM. _Man… what did I drink last night! I'm certain I only had one or two cokes and maybe a cup of tea on the side… I'm not a damn beatnik for god's sake!

"Masaaki…"

Jesus, who the hell was that? There's someone else occupying my bed… or rather, this bed. Indeed, now that I think about it, this doesn't even feel like my pillow - or my mattress, for that matter. The covers reek of a nondescript, no-name-brand cruiser; the pillowcase is saturated with sweat – with any luck, it's not my own.

Hm. I guess I should be trying to determine where the _fuck _I am – easier said than done, since the room's pitch black. Wait… I've digressed – and forgotten something rather important in the process: that _presence _in the bed. With the intentions of waking this unconscious being, I make a brief cacophony with the bed sheets, and then wait for a reaction.

"Ehh? Wha… Masaaki…?"

It's a woman. Why am I in a woman's bed? Let's do a 'retrospective': I departed from the school gates at around 4:00, after completing my history essay. Then I rendezvoused with my sister at the park; we immediately headed home. I vividly recall watching _Wonder Boys _on the foreign films channel… and then… heh, a mental blank. I guess that must have been where I went _wrong, _so to speak. Maybe I went out for ramen and ran into a prostitute? Man, that would put a few unsightly blemishes on my reputation. I'll tell her to keep quiet about this.

I've decided I'll play a few ringtones at full volume. That should have her on her feet in no time.

"Argggh!"

Just as I predicted. Halfway through _Raspberry Heaven _I hear her leap up, wailing hysterically. I give her a light tap on what I presume to be her shoulder, and wait for her to speak.

"Masaaki-san? Is that you?"

Who the _hell_ calls me Masaaki–san? I don't know anyone who would refer to me with such respect, except perhaps… my sister. Oh, god… that's revolting…

"Ohyama-kun!"

She suddenly opts for my preferred 'epithet'. _Do _I know this person? Or rather, _did_ I know her when I was inebriated? Was I just another drunkard; just another customer, lurking around the back alleys of Shibuya at midnight, only a few hours ago? I've just noticed, but I have the irritating habit of jumping to my own conclusions almost instinctively, with very few prior details that could serve to inform my decision – I guess I'll have to work on that. For now… I'll give this frenzied lunatic a response.

"Alright, that's enough."

"Ohyama-kun…?"

"You've said that twice now. Calm yourself."

She complies, and suppresses her histrionics – for the time being, at least.

"Ohyama-kun? Don't you recognize me?"

"How would I go about doing that? You can't see shit in here."

"Yeah… but I thought you would've recognized my voice at least."

"Hmm. No…"

She groans.

"It's Kagura."

"Ah, right. Hey."

"Hey."

I glower at her through the darkness.

"So, what's the explanation for this?"

"_This_? What are you talking about?"

"Firstly, why are we in this bed? In fact, why are we even in this room?"

"…Eh…"

"What?"

"You brought me here."

Shit. I was drunk. My moral fibre is in entropy!

"I brought you here. Why would I do that?"

No reply. You have to be rigorous with this kind of situation, so I guess I'll try again.

"Why did I bring you here last night?"

"Ohyama-kun… how would I know!"

Extremely helpful.

"Can't you be a little more cooperative?"

She grunts.

"Let me ask you something – was I drunk last night?"  
Brief silence, and then;

"I couldn't really tell, Ohyama-kun, but you looked a bit dazed and all, so it's a possibility…"

I consider this for a few moments.

"So. I brought you here. This is a love hotel?" I ask callously.

"…yeah…"

Another pause;

"Were you aware that I was taking you here?"

"...Uh, I think you muttered something about it… but I couldn't really understand you, Ohyama-kun…"

She shifts restlessly. She's probably just as concerned about this as I am. She is, after all, on the varsity swimming team. As am I. _Haha_.

"Ok… Now, what happened when we got here?"

This enquiry is partially a rhetorical question… actually; I'm praying fervently that it's not.

"Um… Ohyama-kun… eh…."

"Shit. What…"

The notion that I could easily resolve this affair is preposterous at this point. It's clearly gone way too far for a quick apology and a few condolences; Hell, I'll probably be coerced into a community service programme.

But… there's still a glimmer of hope. Somewhere.

"Ohyama…kun… It's not what you think, alright? Don't worry about it, ok? It's… not a problem?"

Is she trying to console me? It's not that easy, moron! Ihardly know you! You may as well be a surrogate hooker! Since when were we intimate like _that_? Why was she prepared for me? Had I been transformed into a coquettish, erudite wanker whilst _on the booze_ and staggering around Electric Town? To hell with this!

Suddenly, the light flickers on. _Finally. _

"Ohyama-kun."

Fortunately she's not fully exposed, though one could catch a sporadic peek at her cleavage – if one were _so inclined_, hahaha. She reaches up to stroke my face. No, sorry. It doesn't work that way. I grab her hand.

"Ohyama-kun? What's up?"

Man, yesterday was brilliant, but as for _today… _today's just pure, unadulterated madness. This girl – Kagura - was, roughly eight hours ago, having a good laugh with me on the school rooftop. She was inherently a potential friend; she was interested in the various predicaments of my life, my hobbies and interests – and vice versa. But then… _this _happened! Why the hell was I drunk on a school night, for god's sake! What had gotten into me?

"This is fucked." I mumbled. She agreed solemnly.

How's that for an evening? _Oh, but there's **more**_! Kagura and I seem to share an intrinsic connection – a bond, if you will – that enables us to empathize with each other on a deeper level. Now that I think about it, that sounds rather ludicrous, considering what's just occurred. Ah, but, 'that's life, ain't it'? What a bastard of a phrase that one is. It's not life. It's bloody psychosis! I'll probably remain neurotic for a few days now. Might head down to the gym in a few hours – exercise has a soothing effect, you know? Perhaps you don't know. Perhaps Kagura will join me. That'd be nice – probably.

But, as I said, that's a few hours away, precisely four. What the hell are we gonna do until then?

* * *

**SECOND SECTION: ORGANIC CLOUD/AMBIENT OTAKUS**

"Hey, Ohyama."

"What?"

"I think you'll feel the same way, but… let's not tell anyone about this, ok?"

Isn't that obvious? She isn't so judicious after all. Maybe there's no façade?

"Yeah, I know that. It's pointless to mention it now, though."

For no apparent reason, she smirked.

"You know, you're rather different right now. During the day you were a pretty nice guy, but you're acting pretty frosty… what's up?"

"All the events leading up to now – that's what's _up_."

Actually, it's probably just the fact that I'm an absolute dickhead in the morning – perhaps intensified at such a horrendous hour. God, four AM – 'give me a break', or whatever.

"By the way, Ohyama-kun… do you want to hang out with us tomorrow?"

Tomorrow? At school? _Yeah, of course! I'll be up bright and early just to meet you! _Of course not! I've probably contracted pathological insomnia! I can barely move!

"Sure, if I'm awake."

She chuckles quietly.

"Good point Ohyama-kun, we'll probably both be half-dead!"

Not a very high-quality joke, but I give her a small grin. I guess she's been vaguely reasonable. She's still incredibly stupid, though – I guess we can't help that, can we? _Ha, ha, ha_.

"Anyway Ohyama-kun…"

"Hey, have you noticed? You have an increasingly maddening habit."

"What's that?"

"Look… you don't need to refer to me by name each time you talk. I haven't used your name even once so far."

"Oh. Right… well then… I was going to say, do you want to put some music on?"

Yes… but the stereo's going to fall under _my _jurisdiction.

"Yeah, sure. Is it alright if I choose the _soundtrack_?"

She nods eagerly. A closet music buff, perhaps? Maybe her J-pop leaves her in a state of perpetual languor, and she wants to expand her horizons? Who cares though! I_ pop_ in a few favourites of mine: the _Kimagure Orange Road _vocal collection, Organ Language's _Organ Language Plays Outer Tone_, Nick Drake's _Made To Love Magic _and Enigma's _MCMXC A.D._, my private 'chill-out mix'. I hurl myself back onto the bed, narrowly missing Kagura (who emits a semi-delighted squeal) and let the divine melodies of Ikeda Masanori placate the uneasy atmosphere. It'll probably fail miserably in that regard, though, since I heard Kagura detests pop music… er, despite what I said earlier. Ostensibly she's a fan of the Back Horn… argh, repulsive band!

This will certainly be a long night... if I can even keep my eyes open!

* * *

Kenji's codicil: I thought that was pretty cool. You might be concerned about the sudden jump to semi-angst... but, I had to make him get closer to Kagura somehow! Don't worry, Ohyama's future looks bright... _enough. _:D 

Many thanks to Rushia, who was my only critic. Incidentally: the "Boris" mentioned in the previous chapter _is _Greek, yes, but his name is simply a reference to a Japanese band; it's not supposed to be a Greek name. I'm not that ignorant... jeez!


	3. Chapter 3

**Why's Why  
**

**By Kenji**

**Foreword**: Hmm! What'll happen _next_? Ohyama's previously humdrum hours of mental gestation (read: schooling) are about to get a _whole _lot more exciting – that's not a guarantee, mind you.

This story may seem a little fragmented; try to tolerate it if you would. Regards, me.

**Disclaimer**: Witty pun supply depleted.

* * *

**FIRST SECTION: BORIS, HE WHO WORSHIPS AMPLIFIERS**

As I prepare for another round on the treadmill, Kagura gives me a quizzical look.

"Ohyama-kun, don't you have a watch? Do you have any idea what time it is!"

Come to think of it, I've never, _ever, _owned a watch – nor any kind of timekeeping device. Now, before you criticize me for inconsistencies: my phone's built-in clock malfunctioned as soon as I tried to calibrate it (this was months ago), hence I often rely on microwave ovens and my laptop for clarification. Now that you know, don't bother me again!

"Nah, I lost mine," I lie palpably "but what makes you say that? Are we late for school?"

She seems to be snickering. What's up?

"_Late? _We may as well just go home!"

What the hell! We can't have been working out for _that_ long!

"What? Why? What's the time?"

She grins foolishly and hands me her cell phone. 10 AM. It would seem that she exaggerated slightly. Chances are that the faculty hasn't even noticed yet, so I'm not too worried. Still, we'd better_ get out of dodge. _

"Alright, let's go…" I mumble, tossing my PE bag over my shoulder. She nods, and leads the way out of the gym, her expression uncharacteristically vacant. In a few moments we've arrived at the bus stop, where, to our bewilderment, Boris is waiting. He's crouched over a hollow-body electric, which feeds through his jacket into a portable amplifier. I'll give him his isolation for the moment – I don't think he'd be able to hear me, anyway, if I made any attempts at conversation. Kagura, however, has different ideas.

"Boris! What are you doing here? Why aren't you in class or something?"  
I wonder what _his _excuse is.

"I, uh, woke up rather late, Kagura-chan. I'm the kind that likes to sleep in, you know?"

Sure, we believe you! Malingerer…

"Haha, did you pull another all-nighter?"

"Yeah, me and Nasuno-kun were jamming until around four AM…"

I chuckle inwardly - _what a coincidence. _

"Heh, cool. You guys must be getting pretty good. You could organize a concert at the school, or something."

A nice idea – I wonder how our peers would receive his music, though? I envision it as some kind of grimy metal, with convoluted guitar solos – though I could be way off the mark there. If I _am _right, though, he won't have much of a fanbase, judging by what I've seen at the school's monthly talent revues. Most of the '_bands' _– i.e., proletarian hacks who specialize in hackneyed j-rock – are ephemeral shitboxes that only last a day or two. Don't even 'get me started' on the myriad Luna Sea cover bands (a title of which they barely qualify).

"I don't think they'd like this music," he declares "It's perhaps a little too loud."

See? I knew it.

"Oh, Ohyama-kun! It's nice to see you again."

It seems he only just identified me. Are my features _that _forgettable?

"Boris…er, Boris-kun… what's up?"

He shrugs. Nothing's up - as usual! Why did I ask in the first place! My mind was replete with genuinely_ meaningful_ questions for thisguy; but I guess I feared that some of them -particularly ones concerning his background, Greek heritage and the impetus for his exchange – might offend him. So much for cultural exposure. Was I being too reserved?

My reverie is interrupted by the frenetic yells of our female companion:

"The bus is here! Come on! Hurry up!"

Boris and I groan in unison at Kagura's misguided zeal. We were _supposed _to be _avoiding _school! She doesn't take a hint, however:

"What are you guys standing there for? Come on!"

Grudgingly, we comply. Or rather, _I _comply; I look up to find Boris already seated comfortably on the bus, ridiculously oversized headphones donned.

To be frank, I don't think I'll ever _really _understand Boris – or Kagura, for that matter – unless I perform a lobotomy or some kind of neurosurgical operation. Or perhaps I could hire a psychiatrist to give me a rigorous prognosis of the unfathomable pair. But, as if to mock my attempts at higher-level thinking, the school gate looms ahead, and so begins yet another day in paradise. Ah… education.

* * *

**SECOND SECTION: DARK AND LONG DARK TRAIN**

Wow. Odd, that's the second time I've fallen asleep in class today. Hell, last night _really_ drained me. Or rather, the lunatic training session that followed has weakened my body to such an extent that I can hardly maintain a grip on my pencil.

"Masaaki-saaaan…"

Now, who could this be? Referring to me by my family name… not eventhe _dean_ calls me Masaaki! Could it be a transfer student?

"Wake up, maaaan!"

Yeah, yeah; _affirmative on that command. _I give the greenhorn a listless glance – heh, it's a girl. And, admittedly, she's rather cute. I'm not sure why I didn't pick up on her gender earlier, though – again, it was probably the damned training session.

"Who the hell are you?"

Vulgar, but it'll serve.

"I'm Ayumu Kasuga."  
Ah! I _know _this girl! While she _was _a transfer_ from _Osaka - hence the pseudonym - she's been attending this school for nearly as long as I have; she isn't exactly the _new kid on the block _A foolish presumption on my part.

"You're Osaka, aren't you?"

She nods indifferently. Did she even hear my enquiry? I guess I know who she is anyway, so I don't actually need to verify her identity.

"Masaaki-san, classes have finished for the day."

Oh, yeah. Cheers for the reminder. I didn't realize; we normally have classes in pitch black, don't we? School commences at 9:00 _PM_, right? Everyone's been misinformed!

"Is that right?"

"Yeah. That's right."

You didn't _really _have to respond to that, you know. Can't your recognize a rhetorical question?

"I'm waiting for my father.," she murmurs. Jeez, I wonder where _he _works – International Rescue?

"He's in the music faculty."

Music? That's my best subject! I've never heard of a _Kasuga _on the staff, though. Maybe I should revise the personnel register, _ha ha ha_.

"Kasuga-chan – why does your father tolerate such ludicrous hours? Nine 'till nine… that's really awful."

She begins to examine her textbooks, as if concocting a reply.

"He's not usually so late… in fact, sometimes he's done around 4:00…"

It was hard to tell whether she meant morning or afternoon.

"Oh. In that case, forget about what I just said."

She says nothing. I gather up my belongings. I glance at her – wait, chivalry isn't _completely _dead, is it? In hopes of instigating a revival…

"Kasuga-chan." utters the Casanova.

"W-what is it, O-Ohyama-kun?"

Haha. I've ensnared her now... maybe not. I heard somewhere that stammering is an indicator of sexual tension – that _somewhere_, however, was probably just a delinquent chatroom. Actually, now that I think about it, why would Osaka be attracted to _me_?

"Do you want me to walk you home? I'm sure your father wouldn't mind."

You know, it's during otherwise hollow moments like these that I realize how detached I am. An intimate proposal, and yet it sounds so lacklustre – in essence, an emotional deficiency.

"Oh…"

Had I insulted her by disregarding the 'Osaka' epithet? She just _couldn't_ be that vacuous.

"Um… let's go."

Ooh, concise! Certainly, let's head off. Wait a minute… is that _snoring _I can hear?

"Kasuga-chan… is there anyone else in this room?" I ask quietly.

"Uh… I didn't check…"

And guess who just _happened _to be lurking at the rear of the classroom?

That's right; you're very perceptive.

Boris… _and _Kagura. Arm in arm. Clutching half-empty beakers of saké. And thus, another sleepless night begins...

* * *

Kenji's codicil: Alright, I said this chapter was going to be longer. I decided to divide it into several chapters, though, for the sake of updates. An Ohyama+Kagura pairing is looking very plausible at this point (though the last lines may contradict that), but _forget_ about Ohyama+Osaka. That's not happening. Ohyama is simply a semi-gentleman... sometimes. Anyway, the next chapter will cover the wanderings of this quartet; the following will probably be concerning Ohyama's relationship with Kagura, as well as more school. You might have noticed the bizarre pace in which elements of the story are revealed; that was deliberate ":P". This is going to be _incredibly_ sluggish in terms of plot progression. But don't fret, it'll have you in tears by the end, ahahahaha... 

Osaka's father won't appear again for quite some time (neither will Ohyama's sister, for that matter), but for those of you wondering who it is... I advise you check Rushia's reviews... thanks for the suggestions, by the way, etc etc :D

PS: I don't have an editor, so if you notice any plot holes or grammatical errors, please notify me. Cheers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Who's Who  
**

**By Kenji**

**Foreword**: I won't waste too much of your time today; I'll just preface this by reminding you that this chapter will involve…

By the way, for those of you who presume that this story will finish on the fifth chapter (entitled "Where's Where"), you're _very _wrong. I can change the naming scheme at will; the sky's the limit! Not quite…

**Disclaimer**: …!

**

* * *

FIRST SECTION: PLANETARIUM**

"Masaaki," my sister calls "It's time to wake up!"

Unbeknownst to her, I've been on my feet for hours. It's not that I'm an early riser - I'm the opposite. And it had nothing to do with the neighbors. I can't really be certain, but I'd say it was probably insomnia, finally setting in… yeah, inevitable, I know. Last night's Shibuya pub-crawl didn't really help, either, but thatwasn't _my _decision. You can thank the _hangover couple_ for that escapade… eurggh…

"I'm coming in!"

She bursts into the room, grinning foolishly. She's carrying a bowl of miso soup, which she places carefully on my bedside table with the poise of a housewife. Or, in her case, a surrogate mother with some kind of reverse Oedipal complex.

"Takagi. Get out of here. I didn't ask for breakfast."

She gets to her feet, looking rather doleful.

"Fine…"

Once I'm sure she's out of proximity, I commence my regular morning routine, which I will not bother to recount here. And then, I get outta dodge, leaving the miso soup uneaten. Let's just call it a representation of my unspoken love, eh Takagi? _Ha ha ha_.

* * *

I encounter a particularly jubilant Kagura on the way to school. Surprisingly, Boris is nowhere to be seen.

"Ohyama-kun! How are you?"

I give her a blank stare.

"Where's Boris?"

She frowns, but responds assertively;

"He was still asleep, last time I checked."

Eh?

"Boris is staying at your house?"

She nods, and doesn't pursue the topic any further. Uncomfortable silence ensues. Hmmm…

"Hey, Ohyama-kun… you want to hang out with us again today?"

Sounds good.

"Yeah. Alright."

Kagura seems frustrated by my lack the lack of conviction in my reply, but I'm being totally honest with her. I guess it would be unnatural to regress to introverted habits now, considering what we _did_ only a night or so ago. As if eavesdropping on my internal monologue, Kagura speaks once more.

"So, Ohyama-kun. We've actually known each other for a pretty long time, you know?"

Well, we've been on the swimming team for three years, but it's not a particularly social sport… so we didn't _really _know each other at all. Our eyes probably met a few times, but that's about it. Heh.

"Three years."

I paraphrased.

"I think it's kind of weird that we haven't really spoken until just a few days ago… we see each other all the time."

What's so 'weird' about that? I see Junichiro Koizumi on TV every day, but am I spending every weekend at his house playing video games? No…

"…What are you talking about?"

Really, there was nothing else to say. Despite this, she looks dejected, as if were deliberately trying to upset her. Which, obviously, I'm not. Jeez…

"Well… after what happened the other night, I think we should get to know each other better, you know?"

Isn't that what we're doing now? _Bonding_?

"Yeah… alright. Incidentally, why is that?"

She grins.

"I think you're an interesting guy, and we have a lot in common. People say we're not all that different."

Who said _that_! I think we're worlds apart!

"Yeah, right… where's all this going?" I retort.

She glowers at me, but I find it surprising that she doesn't seem to be particularly angry. Rather, she seems despondent; something I certainly wasn't expecting, given her usually _up-front_ disposition. I'm not sure how to react, so I'll just put it at the back of my mind for now.

Our conversation will have to finish there, it seems… the school gate's looming ahead…

**

* * *

SECOND SECTION: OCEAN BEACH**

It's lunchtime, and we're on the roof. Kagura to my right; Boris to my left. Ahead of me, Yomi leans casually on the handrails; behind me, Kaorin is pestering Sakaki about Back Horn concert tickets; and Chiyo is, presumably, studying. In an unprecedented event, Osaka has joined us today. She's muttering something to Boris about the culinary preferences of exotic birds, an issue that he seems to find inexplicably fascinating. Kagura _had _invited two other girls (whom she refused to identify) as well, but it would seem that they've decided to pass on this one.

"Man… it's a nice day today," she says, feigning intelligence. We didn't need _her _to tell us that.

"Yeah, right."

Kagura looks disheartened – regrettably, Yomi notices this, and peers at me deviously.

"Come here," she says candidly "I need to talk to you."

I'm not quite sure whether she's referring to me exclusively, or both Kagura and I – but I'm curious, so I comply. Oddly enough, those last two sentences rhyme…

I greet her:

"Hey."

She's giving off a refined yet nonchalant atmosphere, which is surprising, since I was expecting a stern lecture.

"Hey. Masaaki-san, what's the matter?"

Hmm.

"Why do you ask?"

She gazes down into the schoolyard for a few moments, and then resumes the discussion:

"Well, you're giving Kagura a hard time."

I knew that; but admitting it would give her the wrong impression. Of course, denying it would make me seem boorish, so I remain silent.

"Kagura isn't often self-conscious, but she seems rather worried by the way you speak to her sometimes, as if you are patronizing her."

"We haven't known each other for very long." I reply. Is _this _what Kagura was alluding to so subtly? Yomi shakes her head, as if to answer my mental inquiry.

"That's true… but you've got to understand – human relations can be _really _difficult, regardless of how long you've known each other! You have to be prudent…"

Hmm… I had previously presumed that I _was _being prudent! I was never especially vulgar towards her… Not that I can recall, anyway. Which is disconcerting in itself…

"Am I getting my point across, Masaaki-san?"

I sigh. Perhaps she is; then again, perhaps she _isn't_. I can't be certain.

"Yeah…"

I didn't say that with much conviction. She's obviously quite perceptive, so…

"I get the feeling you didn't actually listen to me, Masaaki-san. Perhaps you _heard _me, but did you actually make any effort to comprehend it?"

Probably.

"Why are you giving me this lecture?" I ask with brazen candor.

"I'm sure you've heard the whole 'she's my friend, etc' story, right? I don't need to berate needlessly, do I?"

"I've heard it."

"Ok. While that's an important part of it, it all boils down to my perspective. I think that you and Kagura suit each other; you look 'good together', I suppose, even though that kinda doesn't matter…"

That's not much of a justification for a banal moral sermon.

"What make you say that?"

"I feel that you and Kagura _kinda _have similar personalities."

I was ruminating on that point only a few hours ago…

"Isn't it _opposites _that usually attract each other?"

Yomi chuckles.

"I suppose it's different in your case, then."

"Yeah."

"I'll be giving Kagura a similar talk after school - albeit a little more sympathetic. For now, I'll ask you to think about what I've said. And really, what's the point of hanging out with us if you're not going to talk?"

I guess she has a point. And I've never even considered it before.

* * *

**Kenji's codicil:** Firstly, I'm sorry about the delay. Regarding the content, etc ... I _have _devised a kind of "storyboard" for this fic, but it won't come into play until after "Where's Where"... you can expect to see increased chapter length, as well as detail - and, hopefully, quality. As a side note, this fic won't be particularly long - perhaps around 30,000 words at the most; Ohyama's high school days are coming to a conclusion quite soon, so he doesn't have too much freedom at the moment. Also - Points Of View (POV) will be changing frequently within the near future... in fact, Where's Where (aka Chapter 5) is likely to contain the first - in the form of "Boris POV". 

Enjoy, etc ":D"


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